The Beyond the Wall Campaign

About the Campaign

President Trump’s anti-immigrant policies have cruelly and needlessly torn apart families, sought indefinite detention of migrant parents and children, and denied people fleeing violence their legal rights to apply for asylum at the U.S. border. The stakes are incredibly high, and WOLA is fighting back.

We respond to demagoguery and misinformation with facts and research from the ground and strategic advocacy in Washington. This administration’s policies will affect human rights in the Americas for generations to come. Now is the moment to act. We will hold them accountable.

Following the U.S. 2018 midterm elections, read the latest on what we’ve accomplished and what’s next for the campaign.

WOLA is employing a four pronged approach to respond strategically and effectively to the harmful policies of the Trump administration:

Putting an end to the cruel policies of child separation and family detention. Working with partners on the ground, WOLA investigates and exposes abuses against migrants, asylum seekers, and deportees at the border and throughout the region.

2. Freezing ICE’s resources and stop Trump’s wasteful border wall

Stopping efforts to build a wasteful wall, militarize borders, and mobilize deportation and detention forces. WOLA works against the draconian deportation and detention forces that create conditions of chaos, fear, and disruption in the lives of immigrant families throughout the United States.

3. Giving asylum seekers legal tools to protect their rights

Defending the right to seek asylum and helping asylum seekers make their case by providing lawyers with expert research and on the root causes driving migration from Central America.

4. Saving U.S. aid to Central America to tackle the root causes of migration

Advocate for continued, robust, accountable, and transparent U.S. aid to Central America focused on tackling corruption and bolstering the capacity of police and justice systems to prevent and reduce violence and insecurity. The creation of safer communities with greater respect for human rights would address the root causes of migration and the reasons why people are forced to migrate.

Financial support from people like you is what allows WOLA to be effective and strategic in our advocacy. This is a dire moment, but WOLA has a proven track record in the worst of times, and we are committed to defeating policies based in bigotry that ruin countless lives. By joining the Beyond the Wall Campaign, you are taking action to protect human rights and vulnerable families.

Resources and Tools

A Few Highlights

Thanks to the incredible support of the Beyond the Wall Campaign, we’ve stopped many of the worst policies put forth as part of the “zero tolerance” agenda.

– WOLA’s advocacy helped prevent funding for a wasteful border wall and a harmful build-up of apprehension and deportation forces within Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol;

– WOLA investigated and exposed abuses against migrant children and families at the border and on their journey through Mexico to shine a light on just how inhumane and unworkable this administration’s “zero tolerance” policies are, producing three timely and hard-hitting reports from their on-the-ground investigation;

– WOLA’s reach and advocacy helped prevent major cuts to U.S. assistance to Latin America despite the Trump administration’s demands in the FY17 and FY18 budget requests. Instead, critical assistance which helps address the root causes of migration, was maintained with strong human rights conditions placed on the funds.

How to Make a Difference

WOLA does not accept U.S. government funding, and will rely on individuals and private foundations to support this essential advocacy. WOLA must secure $1.5 million to fully implement the Beyond the Wall Initiative for the next two years.

Our experts on Border Security, Migration, and Central America

Vice President for Programs

Geoff Thale is the Vice President for Programs at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), a leading research and advocacy organization advancing human rights in the Americas. He follows hemispheric trends as well as U.S. policy toward the region,…

Director for Mexico and Migrant Rights

Maureen Meyer directs WOLA's Mexico program with a special focus on analyzing U.S.-Mexico security policies and their relation to organized crime-related violence, corruption, and human rights violations in Mexico. She promotes justice for human rights violations in Mexico and also…

Director for Defense Oversight

Adam Isacson has worked on defense, security, and peacebuilding in Latin America since 1994. He now directs WOLA’s Defense Oversight program, which monitors U.S. cooperation with Latin America’s security forces, as well as other security trends.

Director for Citizen Security

Adriana Beltrán leads WOLA’s Citizen Security Program, focusing on violence prevention, and police and judicial reform in Central America. In addition to her work on citizen security, Ms. Beltrán has worked extensively on human rights and organized crime, particularly in…